White House and TAAF Hosted Meeting Yesterday on Hate Prevention with AAPI Faith Leaders in Advance of 9/11 Anniversary
TAAF President Sonal Shah Releases Statement of Support For Efforts To Prevent Hate and Promote Healing in AAPI Communities
WASHINGTON, DC, September 9, 2021 — The Asian American Foundation ("TAAF"), a convener, incubator, and funder for the Asian American and Pacific Islander ("AAPI") communities, yesterday joined the White House Office of Public Engagement to host a meeting with AAPI faith leaders on hate prevention and racial equity in the lead up to the 20th anniversary of 9/11.
President of TAAF, Sonal Shah, hosted the meeting alongside Erika Moritsugu, Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior AANHPI Liaison at the White House. The meeting sought to bring together voices representative of the diverse AAPI faith communities in America. Faith leaders from leading organizations joined the meeting to discuss what can be learned from the years since the 9/11 attacks about preventing anti-AAPI hate and how to foster a broader sense of belonging for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders going forward.
Sonal Shah released a statement following yesterday’s meeting:
"Faith has always been an integral part of AAPI communities in this country — particularly as we continue to face an onslaught of anti-AAPI sentiment. Our faith leaders, like the representatives we met with, guide our communities through dark times, help us heal, and foster a sense of belonging for us all. But as we remember the devastating attacks that took place on September 11, it is clear that America still has a long way to go in achieving a permanent and irrevocable sense of belonging for AAPI communities as incidents of anti-AAPI hate and violence persist at alarming rates. All of us at TAAF are grateful to the Biden Administration for inviting us to help lead a conversation with cherished leaders of our communities about how we can work together to become a nation where all Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are treated with dignity and respect."
More information on the meeting, including a full list of attendees, is available on the White House website.
About The Asian American Foundation (TAAF)
The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) is a convener, incubator, and funder committed to accelerating opportunity and prosperity for AAPI communities. TAAF supports advocates and organizations committed to AAPI causes so that together we can more effectively take action against hate and violence, and build the infrastructure needed to improve AAPI advocacy, power, and representation across American society. We were founded to solve for the longstanding lack of investment and resources provided to AAPI communities and we strive to be a catalyzing force for creating a permanent and irrevocable sense of belonging for the 23 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders living in the United States. The month of its launch, TAAF announced that through its AAPI Giving Challenge and donations from its Board it raised nearly $1.1 billion — the largest philanthropic commitment in history fully focused on supporting AAPI communities. For additional information about TAAF, please visit www.taaf.org.